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Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

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Re: Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

#521

Post by affgrff2 »

jacktribe wrote: post #99

I've just opened a coffee shop in Los Angeles last month, and we don't take tips. We only use self-ordering iPads (I've custom coded an iOS app w/ Stripe Terminal for it), and we don't accept cash either. We've had a few customers baffled by the no-tipping policy, and still insisting that they leave a tip. Some even left cash on the counter or on the table. We had to chase a few of them down to return their money. Al…

I think this is cool and hope your location gets the HN effect today aka real world ddos :)

Just to dump an idea: Maybe instead of using a scale based rating, you could experiment with something that has not a clear maximum value to prevent the all 5-star rating effect described by others. The only thing that directly comes to my mind would be a button, that the user has to hold until the time matches the perceived rating.

Re: Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

#522

Post by jacktribe »

hidden80 wrote: post #498
jacktribe wrote: post #427

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Will do. If anyone is in the LA area and wants to check it out, it's Awakening Coffee in Inglewood. I'm there most days since we've just opened and there are many things to be sorted out. Come say hi.

Holy shit, I just got here (El Segundo) from DC. I may forgo The Boy and the Bear tomorrow morning for Awakening Coffee.

If you do, I'll probably make your coffee tomorrow :)

Re: Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

#523

Post by verall »

Analemma_ wrote: post #295
tptacek wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I pay people to perform services for me, I don't operate under the illusion that we've become friends. I go to my favorite restaurant in Chicago and get brought a couple dishes on the house as soon as we're seated --- that's not because we're friends, it's because I've built a business relationship with the restaurant (and its servers). It's exactly the same dynamic as exists for airline customers who pay up for…

As the meme goes, "that's a nice hypothesis you've got there. Be a shame if someone were to test it". If tipping fixes a supposed incentive problem that exists with tip-free service, than restaurant service should be better in North America than anywhere else in the world. Is it? Empirically, no. And even locally there is no gain from tipping: Seattle has several tip-free restaurants and the service is indistinguisha…

There are certainly places without tipping, with much worse and much better service than America. Why? It's cultural (duh). And in American culture, you tip mechanically if you can afford it and your experience wasn't notably incredible or terrible.

In some places, it is acceptable to raise your hand and call for service. In other places it is not. If you know that it not acceptable, and you do it anyways, you're sort of an asshole. It's the same with tipping. You're not some iconoclast who will personally change the culture.

Re: Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

#524

Post by 4gotunameagain »

dang wrote: post #216
jacktribe wrote: post #99

I've just opened a coffee shop in Los Angeles last month, and we don't take tips. We only use self-ordering iPads (I've custom coded an iOS app w/ Stripe Terminal for it), and we don't accept cash either. We've had a few customers baffled by the no-tipping policy, and still insisting that they leave a tip. Some even left cash on the counter or on the table. We had to chase a few of them down to return their money. Al…

You should write a longer piece about your coffee shop! and the process behind it. If you do, you should submit it to HN - and if you do that you should email us (hn@ycombinator.com) because we might put it in the second-chance pool ( https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26998308 ).

I love how one person opened a coffee shop which basically operates like every single coffee shop in the world apart from the US, and you guys need a detailed write up, charts, flow charts, tips for the secret sauce :)

Re: Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

#525

Post by hezralig »

Dylan16807 wrote: post #513
EVa5I7bHFq9mnYK wrote: post #340

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In southern Europe, automatic 10% tips are often included. But the server will whisper into your ear that he doesn't see any of those 10%, owner takes it all for herself.

Well, unless those areas have worse laws than the US somehow, make sure the server knows that at the very least they should sue the day they quit or get fired.

This compulsion to threaten a lawsuit is such a quintessentially so American. For an American service worker, it also isn't realistic to carry out a lawsuit given that most are working paycheck to paycheck.

Unfortunately, wage theft dwarfs petty theft in the United States due to economic inequality and the inaccessibility of the mostly pay2win American legal system, for the average worker. Millions of workers lose billions in stolen wages every year—nearly as much as all other property theft. [1]

https://www.gq.com/story/wage-theft [1]

Re: Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

#526

Post by swaggyBoatswain »

yafbum wrote: post #449

There has been a deplorable profusion of dark patterns in restaurant checkout UIs, such as offering preselected tip amounts set along a 18-20-25% scale (standard used to be 15%), making it quite difficult to leave a custom tip, etc. Add to this various "surcharges" and other mandatory fees added for this or that (my favorite: mandatory "resort fees" for hotels - seriously why is that not just rolled into the price of…

100% this

Some of these places will also auto add grauituity charges as well for larger parties, and auto select a tip so if you don't look at the bill you could be footing out as much as 40%. Super shady UI practices.

I don't want to be guilt tripped in tipping for a baked item for instance, or a chipotle style served food restaurant.

Re: Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

#527

Post by mnky9800n »

jacktribe wrote: post #99

I've just opened a coffee shop in Los Angeles last month, and we don't take tips. We only use self-ordering iPads (I've custom coded an iOS app w/ Stripe Terminal for it), and we don't accept cash either. We've had a few customers baffled by the no-tipping policy, and still insisting that they leave a tip. Some even left cash on the counter or on the table. We had to chase a few of them down to return their money. Al…

The review feedback program sounds like over engineered nonsense. You get metrics which you think represents customer experience which you can use to evaluate and motivate your employees to act a certain in this coffee fueled skinner box designed to train baristas. But the data won't represent that, the interaction with a barista is only a small fraction of what makes a coffee shop good (first should be good coffee, second probably a nice place to sit). And the obvious conclusion is that the barista tells the customer, "if you want to leave a tip please give me a 5 star rating, my salary is based on ratings." So now you just have tipping with extra steps.

If all you care about is rewarding employees who are good, Why not just do profit sharing for employees who been around longer then x months?

Re: Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

#528

Post by csomar »

tboughen wrote: post #507
jacktribe wrote: post #443

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know what you mean. When the cashier at Whole Foods asks you, it does feel somewhat petty to say no. I think there was a South Park episode on that. But if the POS asks you, it doesn't feel as personal to turn down the option to donate, don't you think? Anyway, not married to the idea, but I think there are some people that enjoy the endorphins that result from contributing to a charitable cause (especially when di…

I think there is a distinction between a charitable donation pop-up that forces the user to round up, donate, or actively select 'no donation' is a dark pattern. Whereas having the option to select a charitable donation, or passively ignore it, as a part of the normal checking out is fine.

Yeah, if these donations where accessible via a different menu (ie: you have cafes, cake, juices, donations) then I'd be fine with it. I'd go to the donation individually if I want to.

The problem is when you put the donation at checkout to "improve" conversion.

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